Mormon continues with the horrors of war by noting that this new type of warfare is affecting the way Nephites fight the war as well. They, too, are adopting some of these terrible practices. For the Nephite cannibalism, note that “they do it for a token of bravery.” That is a little closer to the religious motivations of ritual cannibalism. The eating of flesh entails not only the body, but also the spirit of the one sacrificed. Thus, there is the statement (verse 10) that the eating of flesh might be for demonstrating bravery, although typically it was the flesh of a warrior, and not of a sacrificed and tortured maiden. If the context of verse 9 really was the Nephite rape and torture of women, Mormon is telling Moroni just how far the Nephites have fallen, and why they will no longer hear the word of God. They are too far gone in their bloodlust.